Educational



July 17, 1934i` L. J. BURKE EDUCATIONAL lmp DISPLAY nlavrcl'l riz-151ml Filed sept.V 24. 19:51 2 sunsets-snee: 1

n" Il u A "n "lilllil July 17, 1934.' L.; BURKE R.-19,23s

EDUCATIONAL AND DISPLAY DEVICE original Filed sept. 24, 19:51 2 sheets-snai, 2

Reima! July 11, 1934,

UNITED STATES i Re. 19,238

PATENT OFFICE razas EDUCATIONAL AND DISPLAY DEVICE Lawrence-J. Burke, Chicago, Ill., assiguor to Poster Products Inc.,' Chl Illinois original No. 1,922,229.

Serial No. 584,828, September 24,

reissue February 26, 1934,

piication for No. 713.068

14Cllims.

This invention relates to an educational and display device orthe like comprising and employingv a novel means of removably holding pieces or segments of preferably vari-colored material 5 on a background of a substantially similar material having a hairy surface. This device is very satisfactorily adaptable for kindergarten and for entertainment and education of children. It may also be used in removably attaching letters in spelling boards and in advertising display signs and other displays.

An object of my invention is the provision of a device which is educational and entertaining to children and which teaches them the shapes of u. various' objects as well as the alphabet, gures,

pictures and the skill of diilerentiating and combining various colors and designs.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a means which may be very satisfactorily employed in art and display work such as advertising displays and signs and in which the background and letters are made of a material having extending hairy surface tentacles. the adJacent or abutting hairy tentacles of the u designs or letters inter-engaging with each other and with like surface tentacles of the background to hold the same in position while permitting removal without injury or destruction of the designs and letters from the background.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures inv the specincation and the accompanying drawings. 'lhis invention (in preferred forms) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully u described.

0n the drawings:

Flg. 1 shows a top plan view of a portion of my device showing a hair-surfaced base member with several hair-surfaced object representations thereon.

,-50L Asshownonthedrawings:l

In Ngs. 1 and 3 the reference numeral 10 indicates a flexible base member which has a multlplicity of hairy tentacles protruding above the surface of said -base member. The base member lomaybe msdeofcertain grades of felt cago, lli., a corporation of ted August 15, 1933,

Serlal material which has numerous hairy members or tentacles protruding outwardly from either onel or both fiat sides. Such felt may be made more satisfactory for the purpose of my invention 'by brushing the same with a brush to cause agreater number of the hairy members and tentacles to project from the felt surface, and said projecting tentacles may be made stiller by a thin application of a hot liquid solution containing parailine or other solidifying or partially solidifying material. L The base l0 may be of any size or shape desirable, but in my preferred form' shown in Fig. 1 I have shown it rectangular as this is most desirable for use in a device and is conveniently packed in abox. l

My device includes a large number of cut-out pieces of hair-surfaced felt of varied designs. shapes and colors, the sectors being of such shape as to form pictures, numbers and letters of the alphabet and representations of various objects known to children when assembled. The reference numeral l12 represents a plurality of felt sectors assembled together to represent a ball.

Numeral 13 represents a rabbit and comprises a number of assembled sectors each of a diierent color as indicated.

Numeral 14 represents the letter P, which in this instance comprises two assembled sectors.

Each device includes a number of hair-surfaced cut-outs of various geometric shapes particularly known to children: for example, circles. semi-circles, triangles, squares, etc., which permit assembly by the child to form various pictures and object representations. As previously stated. and as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. the cut-outs such as a and c (Fig. 2) are constructed of hair-surfaced material substantially similar to that from which the base member 10 is constructed. The hairy members or tentacles 11 project from both sides of the cut-outs. as

" shown. In playing, the child willrst spread out base member 10, then select the desired hairsurfaced sectors and assemble them by placing euh one into its proper posiuonto gradually 1 build up the image of the object or picture in' mind, which image may be suggested by pic-'- tures or actual objects. When the hair-surfaced sectors are placed on the base member 10, the tentacles of the member 10 and the sectors will entangle and inter-engage to cause said sectors and consequently the representations which they comprise to be held with fair degree-of firmness together and on said base member. .As will be seen from thedrawings, the various sectors may be juxtaposed on the base member 'with adjacent edges in engagement vso that gthere will be no substantial physical line of demarcation between them, the sectors being suillciently pliable so that their edges will conform to any slight irregularities in the engaging edges` of adjacent sectors. The hairy tentacleson the edges of en- Cagin sectors inter-engage with each other tending to hold the sectors together. as the sectors have hairy tentacles on both sides it lwill be seen that sectors may be frictionally secured upon each other, as shown more particu-y larly at 15 in the rabbit design 13 of Fig. 1. In such cases the hairy tentacles of the sectors inter-engage to hold the upper section in position. Superimposition of sectors permits the construction of designs of contrasting thickness as well as of contrasting color. Y

The modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which I will now describe, comprises when the child desires to keep same intact during activehandlingin play and as long as dei sired. I A felt base member l is secured on the convex upper surface of the base 22 which is preferably of wood and rectangular in shape. The base member l0' is similar tomember 10.

Designs such as 12', 13' and 14' are secured to the base member as in Figs. 1 and 2.

A frame 16, which may be made of four pieces of wood jointed and secured together at their ends, as shown. is made of a size adapted to slip over the base 22 and its attached parts as herein described. The frame 16 is Ypreferably recessed to form an outer groove 17 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Short nails 18 are horizontally driven into the frame 16 at regularly spaced intervals in a manner so that the extending head portion of each of the nails 18 is within the groove 17, asshowninFigaland2. v

Elastic bands 19 may be hooked about nails 18 on opposite sides of the base 22 as shown in Fig. 1 and in a manner so that the bands connecting opposite sides of the base 22 are substantially perpendicular to each other. The bands 19 may be of rubber, thread, or netting having some degrec of elasticity.

A rectangularv metal frame member 20 corn-V prising four members L-shaped in .cross section joined to form a rectangle and of -a size adapted to fit over the frame 16, is removably mounted over the frame.16 so that the inner edge thereof will engage the bands 19 to hold said bands adjacent the upper surface of the'frame as shown in Fig. 2. It will be apparent that the bands may be tightened by merely pushing the frame as far as possible about the base 22. 'The frame 16 .and metal frame 20 have a plurality of horizontal apertures therethrough on two opposite sides thereof, said apertures through the metal frame 20 being threaded from the reception of thumbscrews 21 which have knurled heads and rounded ends which are adapted to engage the edge of the base 22 to hold the frames 16 and 20 in a position to maintain the bands 19 taut and in contact with the pictorial or design represbentations assembled on the hair-surfaced mem- It is only necessary to, remove the frames 16 and 20 with their bands 19 from the base member 22 when the child desires to assemble new designs which it may again preserve by again plac- 'tors comprise will not mov'e easily nor fall o Inasmuhl not be attained by the use of paper or other subadditional means to hold the hair-surfaced' vsectors comprising pictorial or design representations formed on the hair-surfaced base in placeY -means removably secured on said ing the frames 16 and 20 with said bands in manner herein described.

'This is highly desirable as the sectors or the representation which a number of assembled secin ordinary handling, but will remain until pulled apart manually. This highly important removable connection between representations or let-` ters and the base or background is novel andcanstantially smooth-surfaced material.

My device has great educational value in that in assembling vari-colored sectors and the representations of objects or artistic designs the child will not only acquire anl accurate memory of the i representations of various objects but will also acquire artistic skill in combination of colors to create the mostdesirable effects. By use of the device having vari-colored alphabetical letters made of a material having hairy surfaces the child will learn to combine' the letters of words and thereby to spell. y

My invention may be very satisfactorily employed in advertising display designs wherein representations of objects and lettersvcombined to make, any desired words may be quickly mounted on the background and removably held in desired position as long as desired.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an educational device, a rigid backing member; a porous and hair-surfaced material on said rigid member; a frame adapted to snugly receive said rigid member; projecting studs on the periphery of said frame and elastic means adapted to engage the projecting studs on oppo- `site sides of said frame member and hold a plurality of hair-surfaced segments in position.

2. In an educational device. a rigid frame having studs or the like projecting from its periphery; an irregularly surfaced member in said frame: a porous hair-surfaced material secured on said member; and means removably engaging the studs on opposite sides of Vsaid rigid member and adapted to hold a plurality of hair-surfaced segments in contact with said material.

3. In an educational device, a rigid base member; a porous hair-surfaced material secured on said rigid member; a frame adapted to ilt about said rigid member having studs or the like projecting from its periphery, and means removably engaging the studs on opposite sides of said frame and adapted to hold a pluralityy of hair-surfaced segments in assembled relation. 135

4. An article of the class described comprising a base member having a hairy surface; a frame adapted to receivev said base member. and elastic frame and adapted to hold a plurality of hair-surfaced pieces in lengagement with said base member, and means on said frame to adjustably and removably lock said base member therein.

5. An article of the class described comprising a base member having a hairy surface; 'felt-surfaced pieces adapted to be placed on said base member and assembled to form object representations; a frame adapted to receive said base member; and cables on said frame adapted to hold said pieces in engagement with saidbase frame; and means for saidV member and secured member. and an L-lhaped secured on the upper and frame adapted to hold said holding means to exert degrees ci pres 6. A device of the class described a base member having aI hairy surface; adapted to receive said base member; of cables stretched releasably lock said base in said frame.

LIn adeviceoftheclassdcrlbemaframe. a hair-surfaced member removably mounted -in said frame; a plurality oi strings stretched scrum on said frame. and to hold removably positioned segments vadiaceutssid member.

8.1nadeviceofthe llnadeviceoitheclassdescribedairame; arigidmemberinsaidi'ramehavinganirregular sin-tacmeansonsaidframeiorreleasablyand adjustably'securing said rigid member in said frame, and meansstretchedacrosssaid member andsecuredtnsaidi'rameadapdtohddremovably positioned segments adjacent saidmember i'arnadeviottheclassdescrlbedmtnme, anlrregularly surfaced meansforadiustablyandremovablysecuring member in said frame; an elastic element stretchedacmsssaid frameandremovablysebowngmspleememmzwimsudmemm,

il. A device o! the character described comrelatively pliable material of various Vwith each other and with certain Atentacles whereby when 'i'zAdeviceoftheeharacterdescribedcomprmngnnccnbmauomabneformeaofmwrial having outwardly extending hair-like tentacles, and a plurality of dat' cut-out pieces oi' shapes provided with edge portions-adapted to abutt, said cut-out pieces having hairy tentacles coextensive with their surfaces and ot suihcient length whereby when said cut-outs are assembled demarcation between them due to the pliability of of abutting pieces andwhereby the tentacles 'ot the pieces and oi' the base will interlock each with the other detachably to hold them in assembled relation. l

13. A device of the character described comprising, incombinatiomabasemembermadeot allsuriacesthereoi',certainofsaidmembersbeing assembled on said base with their adjacent edges in engagement and their tentacles interlocked one member with another, and another of said memessembled members whereby to form a composite character of a plurality of layers detachably held on said base.

14. A device oi' the character described comprising in combination, a base made of material having relatively long hairy tentacles, and s. plu-- slight irregular-i,l

superposed upon and overlying the rality of not, relatively l'lllable,y cut Out pieces 0f y variant shapes, selected so as to be bled upon the base with portions thereof interlocking pieces superimposed to form upon the base selectable built-up representations of 'variant cro sectional thickness oi' objects well known to children, each oi' said pieces being formed of material having extending from opposite faces relatively long hairy assembled as above depieces and the base will be detachably to each other and to the base by such LAWRENCE J. Bom.

scribed the interlocked tentacles. 

